OAKLAND -– The Warriors were sometimes outfought and occasionally outfoxed Wednesday night before coming back in the fourth quarter to put away the surprisingly pesky Detroit Pistons.
The Warriors cranked up the defense when it mattered most, locking up Detroit late and salvaging a 105-98 win before a sellout crowd (19,596) at Oracle Arena.
The Warriors pushed their NBA-best home record to 28-2 with their eighth consecutive win over the Pistons, covering the past four seasons.
The Warriors (51-12) now hold a 6.5-game lead over the second-place Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference. Any combination of 13 Warriors wins and Grizzlies losses gives the Warriors the top seed through the conference playoffs.
Klay Thompson led all scorers with 27 points, including 10 in the definitive final quarter. Five other Warriors scored in double figures, with Andre Iguodala putting up 13, Marreese Speights and Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut each adding 12 and Leandro Barbosa putting in 10.
Stephen Curry, in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, had a forgettable evening, scoring nine points on 4-of-15 shooting. He did finish with 11 assists.
The Warriors countered Detroit's size advantage by outshooting the Pistons 51.8 percent to 42 percent. The Pistons (23-41) owned the glass, grabbing 51 rebounds to 42 for the Warriors, as center Andre Drummond pulled down 27.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
Thompson and Bogut share the honors.
Thompson was the team's most reliable scorer, shooting 11-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Bogut provided refreshing early offense, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the first half. He made 6-of-8 shots overall.
TURNING POINT
Trailing 81-79 with 9:26 remaining, the Warriors went on a 14-2 run to take a 93-83 lead with 5:37 left, forcing the Pistons to call a timeout –- after which the Warriors scored four more points, going up 97-83, with 4:39 to play.
Defense was the key to the run, as the Pistons missed three of four shots during that stretch and committed four turnovers.
Detroit never managed another rally, never getting closer than the seven-point difference at the end.
INJURY UPDATE
The Warriors listed no injuries before the game and reported none during the game.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Warriors on Thursday fly to Denver, where they will face the Nuggets on Friday at Pepsi Center.
Nominate your favorite All-Star Teacher today!
